Trolley-wheel mount.



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1. WILDER.

TROLLEY WHEEL MOUNT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1913.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60 P 070 LIT JULIAN WILDER, 0F AUGUSTA, MAINE.

TROLLEY-WHEEL MOUNT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A131. so, an.

Application filed March 3, 1913. Serial No. 751,681.

T all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JULIAN l/VILDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Augusta, in the county of Kennebec and State of Maine, have invented an Improvement in Trolley-Wheel Mounts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trolleys, and particularly to the wheel and harp, and has for its object the provision of an improved form of axle for supporting the Wheel, and a harp with slots to receive the end portions of the axle, and in which said axle is movable bodily, to enable the wheel to oscillate or assume diflerent angular positions with respect to a position in parallel relation with the harp, so as to follow the various lateral deflections or" the trolley-wire, and in all positions to cause the trolley-Wire to engage the bottom of the wire-receiving groove. Such an axle is herein termed a floating axle.

The invention also has for provision of springs or other serve to correctly aline and yieldingly hold the trolley-wheel in parallel relation with the harp, yet permit said wheel to be moved to various angular positions in either direction from said alined position.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trolleywheel and harp embodying this invention, in connection with a trolley-wire. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a vertical section. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail in section of the harp and axle. Fig. 5 is a side view of the wheel with electric-conductor which serves as an alining-spring. Fig. 6 is a view of one of the washers with guard for the trolley-wire. Fig. 7 is a detail showing a modified form of electric-conductor or spring. 7

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, 10 represents the trolley-wire; and 12 the trolley-pole. Said pole has at its upper end a harp 15 provided with a stem 16, which latter is fitted upon the end of the pole, and said stem is arranged at an angle with respect to the harp so that the harp occupies approximately a horizontal position as represented in Fig. 1, although movable up and down to compensate for the usual deflections or various elevations of the trolley-wire. The arms of the harp are slotted from their extremities inward for a short distance, as at 20 to receive the end portions of the axle,

its object the means which said open ended slots having parallel sides and permitting entrance of the axle and also movement of the end portions of the axle therein. The axle, (see Fig. 4,) consists of a cylindrical body-portion 22, having shoulders 23, 23, near each end and flattened end portions 2 1, said flattened end-portions having parallel sides adapting them to enter the parallel sided slots in the harp. The shoulders 28 are curved on the arc of a circle about a point at the middle of the bodyportion 22 as a center, and said curved shoulders bear against the inner sides of the arms of the harp, above and below the slots, remaining in engagement therewith as the axle is moved bodily or swung about said central point. This bodily movement of the axle within certain defined limits is of great importance, as it insures the trolley-wheel 30, which is arranged thereon, oscillating or assuming diflerent angular positions with respect to a position in parallel relation with the harp, to accommodate itself to lateral deflections of the trolley-wire, at the same time causing the trolley-wire to continuously engage the bottom of the wire-receiving groove in the wheel, thus preventing the wire from frictionally engaging the sides of the groove, and by such engagement to wear away the wheel and also the wire, and to bind to such extent as to occasionally cause the wheel to leave the wire. The axle is held in the slots by cotter-pins 25, extended through holes in the arms or other means, and said pins limit the movement of the axle in one direction while the ends of the slots limit movement of the axle in the other direction. The trolley-wheel 80 itself may be of any usual or suitable construction having a hub to engage the axle, with or without a ball-bearing and move rotarily thereon and also axially to a slight extent.

For the purpose of conducting the current from the trolley-wheel to the harp, electricconductors are provided at each side of the wheel, here shown as springs 40, which are connected at one end to the wheel and hear at the other end against a washer 50, which is arranged on the axle and which engages the harp. As the springs yield the current will be conducted to the harp in all positions or" the trolley-wheel, but said springs also serve the important function of causing the wheel to assume a normal position in parallel relation or alinement with the harp,

yet permit said wheel to be moved angularly in either direction from said alined position. In Fig. 5 said springs are made helical in form and the hub of the wheel has flanges about its perimeter, forming recesses in which said springs are housed, and said springs when compressed will lie flat in said recesses and thus occupy but little additional space.

In Fig. 7 the hub of the wheel has extensions on which springs of spiral flat or other form can be placed.

The washers 50 are made as flat rings, having spurs 51 or other means which project beneath the arms of the harp and having extensions 52 which project upwardly and terminate in the recesses formed in the sides of the trolley-wheel thereby to serve as a guard to prevent the trolley-wire from entering said space.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the I claim V A trolley harp having the arms thereof formed with longitudinally-extending slots, an axle having reduced end portions to fit the slots and hold the axle against independent rotary movement in the arms, a trolley wheel mounted on the axle and capable of free sliding movement from end to end of the axle between the arms and springs encircling the axle and secured to the wheel, said springs tending to normally center the wheel on the axle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JULIAN WILDER.

Witnesses:

WALTER M. SANBORN,

FREDERIO K. GRAss.

Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). G. 

